Best Bike Accessories for Women Who Don't Want to Look Sporty
For ages I thought I was the only person asking this question: how do I feel like myself when I'm on a bike? Specifically, how do I wear what I want to wear and not look like a slightly chubby reject from the Tour de France?
If there's anything I've learned in the dozen-plus years since I started Bike Pretty, it's that plenty of other women have the same style questions. The answers are usually a patchwork of workarounds. Fishing shirts, bibs (strapped and padded cycling shorts that require getting completely naked when you need to use the bathroom) under dresses, vintage oversized button-ups, all because the cycling industry hasn't really solved this problem. After all these years in the business, I'm not holding my breath.
That's pretty much why Bike Pretty exists. The helmet is where I started. But here are a few more things that can make the whole ride feel more like you. Some are in my shop and some are just things I use on every single ride.
A bag that doesn't look like a pannier
If you're ready to move on from a backpack but haven't found a bag that works on a bike, the Half Circle Bamboo Bike Bag could be just the thing. This gorgeous, curvy basket is based on a vintage purse silhouette. Handmade from bamboo, it attaches to your handlebars or rear rack with three leather straps. It can hold your water bottle, cardigan, little snack, and your phone. When you get where you're going, you take it off the bike and carry it as a handbag.
Best of all, it's decidedly not a military-grade tactical-black pannier, just a beautiful bag that happens to ride a bike.
Shop the Half Circle Bamboo Bike Bag →
An undershirt that solves the sweating problem
I always wear my sweat blocker under whatever I'm wearing to ride my bike. It's a half-shirt so it doesn't add bulk or show under most of my clothes. The key feature is the small sweat-absorbing pads sewn directly into the underarms.
Put it on before you ride and it absorbs the sweat and blocks any pit stains. When you arrive, your actual outfit is perfectly fine. This is the thing that makes riding in real clothes actually work. I won't ride without it. I even wear them on those rare days that I don't ride my bike!
Shorts that solve the skirt problem
If you've ever wanted to ride in a dress or skirt but wanted to avoid a full-blown Marilyn Monroe moment, the Bikie Girl Bloomers (shown here in black with pink polka dots) are the thing you've been missing.
These soft, flexible "pettipants" have stretch lace at the hem and waistband, flat seams, and no chamois padding in the crotch so they lay completely smooth underneath whatever you're wearing. (If you've ever worn padded cycling shorts before, you know that thick-diaper sensation can take some getting used to!) When the wind picks up, you're covered. Nobody needs to know they're there.
They also work perfectly on their own for when you hit the club ;)
Shop the Bikie Girl Bloomers →
A safety vest that makes you unforgettable
The words "safety vest" are a little off-putting, so bear with me.
The Lace Safety Vest is made from paisley-motif neon lace with high tech retro-reflective strips. It comes in safety yellow, hot pink, tangerine orange (my personal favorite), and several other colors. Throw it on over whatever you're already wearing. You will be visible. You will also be unforgettable, which is a better outcome anyway.
A silk scarf that saves your hair
I use a 24" square silk scarf as a snood before most rides. It fits perfectly under the Straw Hat Bike Helmet, keeps my curls intact, and takes about 30 seconds to do. When I arrive, I undo the knot and my hairstyle is preserved.
You don't need to buy anything special, vintage shops and thrift stores are full of them. Look for at least 24 inches square.
For the full step-by-step technique, I wrote a whole post about it: How to Prevent Helmet Hair →
A horn that drivers actually hear
My step-dad gave me this bike horn when we got our family cargo bike, and I genuinely don't know how I rode without it. I call it the car vaporizer. It sounds exactly like a car horn (but without the car).
Here's the problem with a regular bike bell in San Francisco (or any North American city): the driver who is merging into your bike lane without checking first is also searching for parking, rocking out to their car stereo, and sealed inside a nearly soundproof metal box. (Seriously, any time I see a car commercial advertising their "quiet interior," a chill runs down my spine.)
Under those circumstances, a polite ding does absolutely nothing. But when I beep this horn, it puts the fear of a scratched paint job into the driver's heart and suddenly they remember how lanes work.
It's loud enough to be heard through a closed car window. That's the only spec that matters.
Related Posts You Should Read
- How to Prevent Helmet Hair — The silk scarf snood technique in full detail, plus tips for keeping your bangs intact and making your style last the whole ride.
- How to Start Biking Even If You Don't Feel Athletic — Real advice from real women on getting back on the bike without overhauling your identity.
- How to Bike in a Long Dress — It's easier than you think once you learn the trick.
- What does the Straw Hat Bike Helmet look like on real people? — See how customers are actually wearing it out in the world.
The point
The cycling industry has spent decades designing gear for athletes. If that's not you, that's fine. These are the things that helped me feel like myself on a bike. I hope they help you too.
